Meet the current Coastal Science and Policy M.S. Cohorts

Temiloluwa Jesutofunmi Akinyemi

Nigeria

Capstone Project: Building a Seafood Watch Program and Understanding the Interplay between Aquaculture and Fisheries Industry in West Africa

Temi is evaluating and comparing the aquaculture and small-scale fisheries industries in Nigeria and Ghana to understand their mutual impacts on one another to enable informed decision-making and strategic planning. This research will help advance the promotion of food and livelihood security, responsible aquaculture, and fisheries production in West African seafood-producing countries, and guide consumers on sustainable seafood choices. This research will provide scientific data for facilitating the development of the Seafood Watch program in West Africa by the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Through this work, how seafood is farmed and fished can be transformed, enabling people and the planet to thrive.

Highlight: With a demonstrated expertise in research in fisheries management, Temiloluwa is a dedicated researcher who is passionate about studying the intricacies of decision- making processes in the fishing industry.

Prior Experience: Temiloluwa has worked as a project officer and research officer across diverse sectors including education, fisheries, and aquaculture management. She is distinguished as a World Bank Scholar and Research Analyst. She has an MPhil in Fisheries Science from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, where her areas of focus were data quality and fisheries management. She has worked closely with prominent figures in the field and has published in respected journals. Notably, Temiloluwa worked with the Environmental Justice Foundation in Ghana to raise awareness among coastal dwellers about bycatch, the use of destructive fishing methods, the unsustainable harvesting of marine mammals and turtles, and how to skillfully incorporate technology to support sustainable fishing practices. Recently, she was invited to do an oral presentation on the abstract of a paper titled; Fisheries Data Quality Issues in The Artisanal Fisheries Sector of Ghana at the 3rd Biennial Conference on Fisheries and Coastal Environment (CFCE), on the theme “Inclusive Blue Economy in Africa: Towards Sustainable Transformation of the Marine Environment.

Adrienne Chenette

Repass-Rodgers Fellowship on Central Valley Salmon Restoration Policies

United States 

Current Position: Associate Director of California Data Science & River Restoration at American Rivers

Meghan Elizabeth DeCoite

United States 

Capstone Project: Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Marine Debris Assessment: Data Analysis, Best Practices, and Future Improvement Recommendations

Meg is working with the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary on a debris assessment, investigating the trends and sources of debris on the remote shores of the Northern Channel Islands. She is also working with different communities to identify upstream solutions by engaging their experiences and knowledge sets.

Highlight: She enjoys using collected marine debris to make art and has worked as a deckhand in the Channel Islands region for the past three years.

Prior Experience: She worked on the topic of marine debris in Chile with  Plastic Oceans Chile and in California with the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.

Erika Gutierrez

United States 

Capstone project: Understanding the Governance Structures in Fishing Cooperatives in Colima, Mexico

Erika is working with fishing cooperatives in Colima, Mexico to get a better understanding of their governance structures. Data on the fishing cooperatives in Colima is limited, and her work will contribute to the Diagnóstico Nacional de Organizaciones Pesqueras (DNOP). Results of her project will help strengthen the fishing cooperatives’ relative degrees of collective management action.

Highlight: Erika’s passion for marine and coastal science stems from the experiences she obtained living with her family on the coast of Manzanillo, Colima. She pursued this path with the goal of one day being able to return to Manzanillo, to work with the fishing communities. She is excited for the opportunity to work on a project that is deeply tied to her passions and goals.

Prior Experience: While pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Marine Science at CSU Monterey Bay, Erika started working at Hopkins Marine Station where she researched the socio-economic impact of the aquarium trade on fisher livelihood in Indonesia. After graduating, she continued working at Hopkins where she used angler surveys to assess the changes in the recreational billfish fishery in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

Vannhi Tran Huynh

Coastal Climate Resilience Fellow

United States 

Capstone Project: Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) in Tram Chim National Park Vietnam

In collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Research Institute of Forest Ecology and Environment (RIFEE), the Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) project aims to improve wetland health and pay local communities for their conservation efforts. Assigning monetary value to these ecosystems strengthens their significance impact in policy decisions. The project will be conducted at Tram Chim National Park in Vietnam, a region known for its high biodiversity and home to keystone species such as the Sarus Crane. The objectives include assessing the current status of the wetland ecosystem and drafting technical guidelines for submission to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) to establish PES. This project aims to provide a guideline for integrating payment schemes to local communities all across regions in Vietnam. In addition, Vannhi is planning to use what she learns in this project and work on PES for other regions in the world.

Highlight: She is a scientific diver and loves exploring the underwater world. 

Prior Experience: Vannhi has a bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology from the University of California, San Diego and worked as a field researcher at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She contributed to many projects ranging from conservation of mangrove habitat globally to researching climate effects on the Mano de Leon scallops.

Jennifer-Justine Kirsch

Schmidt Marine Innovation Fellow

Germany 

Current Position: Director of International Programs at Fish Welfare Initiative

Capstone project: Investigating the Feasibility of Inland Brackish-Water Seaweed Farming To Enhance Smallholder Farmers’ Resilience In West Java, Indonesia  

Jennifer is collaborating with the Indonesian organisation Sambung Asa, to assist in their efforts to enhance the sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture. Her project will explore the feasibility of inland brackish-water seaweed farming, a scarcely investigated field within aquaculture. Ulva seaweed has the potential to purify shrimp culture effluents, bring additional income, and enhance environmental sustainability in coastal communities. If successful, this project can serve as the foundation for a program helping fishers and farmers diversify their operations towards inland seaweed farming.

Highlight: Jennifer is passionate about transforming our food system to be more ethical and sustainable. In addition, she grew up in a small town in the German Black Forest.

Prior Experience: Jennifer has worked in various countries exploring agriculture and aquaculture systems over the past several years. Jennifer is especially excited about the potential to transform conventional into regenerative systems and thereby sustain small-scale farmers’ livelihoods.

Nathaniel I Kollie

Liberia 

Capstone Project: Assessing the Impacts of Distant Water Fishing on the Livelihood and Food Security of Small-scale Fishers and Fishmongers in Liberian Coastal Communities

Nate is examining the direct and indirect impacts of Distant Water Fishing (DWF) on the livelihood and food security of local communities in Liberia to inform a set of recommendations that will enhance policy formulation for the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) and other interested actors. During his summer placement, he will execute the following approaches: (1) review existing reports on the DWF catch and Small-scale Fisheries (SSF) catch to identify overlap in catch composition and expose potential competition between the sectors; (2) conduct primary data collection through interviews, focus groups, and participant observation in coastal communities, and at markets and cold storage facilities; (3) Use a mix of qualitative in-depth interviews with key informants (government actors, community leaders, sea chiefs, cold storage employees) through snowball sampling, and structured intercept surveys with community members to obtain quantitative data.

Highlight: Nate is a coastal sustainability leader who is deeply dedicated to conserving coastal and marine ecosystems and effectively managing the delicate balance between ecological preservation, economic development, and community needs. He has a demonstrated commitment to addressing critical coastal and marine conservation challenges while working closely with stakeholders and local coastal communities toward lasting, inclusive, and holistic change.

Prior Experience: Nate has been instrumental in promoting the sustainable management of Liberia’s coastal and marine ecosystems as the Blue Oceans Program Coordinator with Conservation International and Head of County Office at the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia. Further, he has been instrumental in developing Environmental and Social Management Frameworks (ESMFs), conducting Environmental Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs), conducting Environmental Audits, and designing Resettlement Action Plans (RAPs). These efforts have significantly contributed to mitigating adverse impacts on marine ecosystems and the promotion of sustainable development practices for local communities.

Sabrina Lopez

Coastal Climate Resilience Fellow

United States 

Capstone project: Advancing Equitable Climate Investments for Coastal Resilience

Sabrina is working with the City of Santa Cruz’s Climate Action Program to institutionalize equity-based coastal resilience investments to increase government capacity for environmental justice efforts in the face of climate change. Her work starts over the summer with a literature review for use by the program on existing coastal resilience investments and infrastructure that specifically address racial and environmental inequities. Simultaneously, while the city of Santa Cruz updates the 2024-2029 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan + Climate Adaptation Plan and conducts a Living Shoreline Feasibility Study, she will analyze and assess the public process for opportunities to increase racial equity considerations and deliver recommended changes to the City in the format of a technical policy memo. Lastly, she is collaborating with Dr. Tiffany Wise-West of the Climate Action Program to write a Racial Equity Funding Action Plan as a companion piece to the 2024-2029 Climate Adaptation Plan update.

Highlight: Sabrina was born and raised in Hayward, California, but has lived in Santa Cruz the last 8 years. A fun fact about her is that she loves to dance, play music, and do pottery in her free time.

Prior Experience: She worked with the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency for the past 3 years, holds a bachelor’s degree in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, and has served as an executive member of two local environmental advocacy organizations.

Juan Carlos Marti

Schmidt Marine Innovation Fellow

Costa Rica 

Capstone project: A Data-driven Social Franchise Business Model for Small-scale Fisheries

Juan is launching a social business model to connect small-scale fisheries to premium markets by decentralizing fish processing, implementing traceability technologies, and using a social franchising model. These strategies will be tested and refined through a pilot program in Costa Rica, conducted by a local startup called Remora Fishing Traceability. The pilot will receive support from the Costa Rican Fishing Authorities, three fishing communities, and local NGOs focused on marine issues.

Highlight: He is an Industrial Design Engineer who is passionate about the intersection of innovation, the Ocean and impact, which led him to establish his startup, Remora Fishing Traceability.

Prior Experience: He has spent the last five years working in the fisheries industry, from developing technology for small-scale fisheries to creating electronic logbooks for the semi-industrial fleet in Costa Rica. Before that, he ran an innovation consultancy and directed a business incubator at TEC University in Costa Rica.

Chamonix Toledo

United States of America

Capstone project: Advancing Indigenous-led Research and Resource Management in Oceania

In collaboration with the Ebiil Society (Palauan NGO) and Stanford University, Chamonix is working closely with the Indigenous and community leaders in Palau to support their research efforts and conservation initiatives. She is teaching a course entitled “Decolonizing Environmental Social Science Research” in partnership with the Ebiil Society’s educators and researchers. Using Palauan methodologies and epistemologies, she will support students in developing clear, focused, complex and feasible research questions, examining and comparing common approaches to interviewing, and evaluating a clear decolonizing research framework. Additionally, working with researchers at Stanford and community scientists, she will support the collection of baseline data for Palau’s newly secured seagrass protected area on the island of Ngerkeklau. Gathering both social and natural science data, just after the marine protected area designation, provides a baseline understanding of the socio-ecological system and takes into account the cultural significance and impact of setting aside land for conservation.

Highlight: Chamonix is a highly interdisciplinary collaborator, with experience in natural sciences, social science, and community education. She is passionate about mentorship and developing pathways into research for students of all backgrounds. She was recently invited to sit on the board of the Smith Society, an organization that provides resources and financial support to students from marginalized and underrepresented backgrounds.

Prior Experience: During her studies as an undergraduate, she collaborated with the non-profit, One People One Reef (OPOR), which works with the communities of Ulithi Atoll, Yap, Federated States of Micronesia. Alongside the Ulithian community and the OPOR science team, she began to explore the fishing practices of Ulithi Atoll and the role that spearfishing and other non-traditional fishing practices have had on their reefs. During the summer of 2022, she was able to conduct focus groups with Micronesian community members who currently reside in Kona, Hawaii, to develop a broader understanding of the perceptions of spearfishing.

Ruben Pelle Vruggink

Coastal Climate Resilience Fellow

Netherlands 

Capstone Project: Sustainable Shores: Nature-Based Solutions for Mitigating Coastal Erosion through Sediment Management at Mugu Submarine Canyon

Ruben’s capstone project focuses on using nature-based solutions to combat coastal erosion by managing sediment loss at the Mugu Submarine Canyon in California. By comparing three scenarios—beach nourishment with sediment sources near the Submarine canyon head, inland sand transport, and a business-as-usual case—his research aims to mitigate shoreline retreat and enhance beach sustainability in the Zuma Littoral Cell. The project will offer valuable insights into sediment management, providing a framework that can serve as a model for coastal regions worldwide to reduce erosion and adapt to rising sea levels.

Highlight: As an avid surfer and surf instructor, Ruben’s interest in coasts and oceans is significant and has been influenced by his travels and teaching surf around the globe.

Prior Experience: Ruben completed his Earth and Environmental Science bachelor’s degree in 2023.

Arianna Agostini

Coastal Climate Resilience Fellow

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

Capstone theme: Arianna is interested in addressing the pressing need for effective nature-based solutions for climate adaptation and sustainability projects in the Caribbean. Her focus is on tracking, evaluating, and enhancing the impact of these initiatives to ensure delivery of ecological and socio-economic co-benefits.

Highlight: Arianna is passionate about conducting research that informs policy and practice to address climate change and biodiversity decline, especially in Small Island Developing States in the Caribbean.

Prior Experience: Arianna is a professional researcher with experience across diverse ecosystems including seagrass, oyster reef, mangrove, and coral ecosystems. With a B.S. in Environmental Science from Duke University, her expertise spans positive species interactions between seagrass and bivalves, cold-water coral bleaching, eDNA analysis, green recovery initiatives, invasive species dynamics, and marine science education for youth.

Jing (Jane) Chen

Beijing, China

Capstone theme: Jing is interested in investigating the ecological impact of Mollusk stock enhancement and release in northern China, evaluating the overall sustainability and environmental implications of such practices. This research can inform sustainable fisheries management policies and practices.

Highlight: Jing is a dedicated marine conservationist and rescue scuba diver. She combines academic and real-world experiences to tackle pressing coastal sustainability challenges.

Prior Experience: Jing has been working for Chinese and International NGOs for the past five years, focusing on promoting sustainable fishing standards at the Marine Stewardship Council, as well as sustainable lifestyles. She earned her B.S. in marine science from the University of Queensland in Australia.

Gwendolyn Chow

Singapore

Capstone theme: Gwendolyn is interested in exploring the role of inclusive conservation and enabling conditions needed to advance the United Nation’s “30×30” goal– effective protection and management of 30% of the world’s terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine areas by the year 2030–at a regional level across the Coral Triangle.

Highlight: The results of Gwendolyn’s undergraduate thesis publication are currently being used to inform species selection for Singapore’s coral restoration efforts.

Prior Experience: Gwendolyn’s background is in coral ecology, and she has conducted research on tropical reefs in Singapore and the Maldives through scientific diving. Currently, she manages conservation projects across the Coral Triangle for WWF-Singapore’s Oceans Program, connecting funding from donors to impactful work that expands protected areas, restores degraded habitats, and scales co-management approaches among coastal communities.

Oumar Cisse

Coastal Climate Resilience Fellow

Nouakchott, Mauritania

Capstone theme: Oumar is committed to fostering coastal environmental resilience within vulnerable and marginalized communities. His mission is to collaborate with these communities to develop sustainable practices and enhance their resilience against environmental challenges, ultimately driving sustainable development in his community.

Highlight: 

Prior Experience: 

Meher Datta

Mumbai, India

Capstone theme: Meher is interested in exploring the impact of harmful algae blooms on cetacean behavior. For her capstone project, she intends to focus on Karenia brevis cell counts in Tampa Bay, Florida, and compare that with acoustic and photographic data to find changes in vocal and social behaviors in dolphin populations during large-scale red tide events.

Highlight: Meher has her B.A. degree in Environmental Studies from Eckerd College, and is excited to delve into the bioacoustic aspect of anthropogenic damage in coastal areas.

Prior Experience: Meher gained experience in the field of conservation by working with various dolphin research organizations and getting involved with sea turtle migration and genetics research at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. She has assisted with marine animal rescues and worked in conservation education.

Chase Davenport

Schmidt Marine Innovation Fellow

San Francisco, California

Capstone theme: Chase is interested in balancing the needs of human and natural systems as coastlines change from the impacts of a changing climate. He wants to build tools that encourage better decision-making about how sand is used in coastal adaptation and resilience projects. 

Highlight: Chase is a part-time surfboard shaper and focuses on designing and building surfboards free of petroleum products.

Prior Experience: Chase began his career as a kindergarten teacher for Teach for America in Richmond, CA. More recently, he has been a researcher at UC Berkeley and Accenture, where he used artificial intelligence to better understand relationships between humans and the environment.

Eric Medina

Packard Coastal Conservation Fellow

Fort Bragg, California

Capstone theme: Eric is interested in how California’s coastal landscapes can be utilized to create socially and ecologically resilient communities. For his capstone project Eric plans to explore how models for managed retreat along the coast can provide opportunity for those in harm’s way and ecological services to the broader community.

Highlight: Eric’s interests are largely shaped by his Mayan heritage and family’s immigration from Yucatan, Mexico. From a young age, he witnessed the need for a society that values human quality of life.

Prior Experience: Prior to CSP, Eric spent three years as the Restoration Steward for Younger Lagoon Reserve, assisting with habitat restoration, and leading student interns and community volunteers through restoration work. Eric holds a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a B.A .in Latin American Latinx Studies from UC Santa Cruz.

Sidney Opiyo Oballa

Kenya

Capstone theme: Sidney is interested in climate adaptation and resilience projects within vulnerable and marginalized coastal fishing communities. This work includes evaluating fishing methods and the risks from, and drivers of, coastal climate change, ultimately leading to enhanced climate risk assessment and management, and adaptive behaviors for communities.

Highlight: Sidney grew up in the small Suba ethnic community on Mfangano Island, Lake Victoria, Kenya. There, he witnessed firsthand the impacts of climate change, which inspired him to become a passionate advocate for environmental conservation and sustainable development.

Prior Experience: For the past few years, Sidney has been working with youth and community-led conservation efforts, the inclusion of climate justice in championing meaningful engagement, and climate and conservation storytelling.

Andyll L. Quamie

Schmidt Innovation Fellow

Liberia, West Africa

Capstone theme: Andyll is interested in enhancing coastal resilience through sustainable environmental practices with a strong focus on restoring the mangrove ecosystem. She is dedicated to finding innovative solutions for combating coastal erosion and mitigating the impacts of climate change on coastal communities. Her work emphasizes mangroves’ critical role in shoreline protection, biodiversity conservation, and the livelihood of local populations. She aims to help create resilient coastal landscapes that support both ecological health and human well-being.

Highlight: Andyll advocates for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 13- Climate Action and Goal 14- Life below Water. She is a Model United Nations Enthusiast and loves working in coastal ecosystems because of the stunning landscapes and beautiful scenery.

Prior Experience: Andyll is an environmental advocate who has volunteered with several organizations. She has worked with Conservation International-Liberia and the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia.

Sofia Rivas

Central Coast, California

Capstone theme: Sofia is interested in kelp restoration efforts to reestablish and conserve kelp forests along the West Coast of the United States. She is particularly interested in incorporating local activism and values into the knowledge base and innovation of the scientific community to advance solutions for restoring kelp forests.

Highlight: Sofia has lived next to the ocean her entire life; she is a scuba diver and a beginner surfer, and these experiences have made her deeply passionate about marine conservation and building awareness for conservation efforts.

Prior Experience: Sofia has a B.S. in Marine Biology from University of California, Santa Cruz. She studied abroad in Australia where she conducted independent research with a kelp forest ecology lab to understand how canopy-forming kelp species grow; the experience broadened her understanding of coastal ecosystems.

Makena Rush

San Francisco, California

Capstone theme: Makena is interested in exploring the social-ecological dimensions of kelp restoration in Northern California, aiming to co-design an off-branching project of Green Gravel that intertwines Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), to synergize sustainable kelp restoration strategies. She envisions implementing and expanding open source protocols with ethnobotanical research, while centering environmental justice with the Trinidad Racheria and Coastal Land Trust. 

Highlight: Makena is a featured artist in The Mysterious World of Bull Kelp, and is a passionate artistic activist who is looking forward to pursuing new forms of science communication through dance, filmmaking, and more. 

Prior Experience: Makena earned her Bachelors degree in Social Ecology, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, and minor in Global Sustainability from UC Irvine. She has taken part in the Green Gravel Action Group as a researcher evaluating the effectiveness of restoring California’s canopy-forming kelp forests, as well as led a novel research project at UC Irvine investigating marine wastewater contamination. She also focuses her time within the field of community stewardship education with local schools and city panels.

Daniela Thorne

Peru

Capstone theme: Daniela is interested in conducting a socio-economic analysis of fisheries in northern Peru, with a specific emphasis on artisanal free-diving activities, employing a system thinking approach. Through this analysis, she aims to assess the feasibility of implementing a market-base social change initiative that promotes sustainable resource use.

Highlight: Daniela has resided in an artisanal fishing community for 3.5 years, and has witnessed the economic, political, and environmental challenges faced by free-diving fisheries in Peru. She also shares the joy of embracing a simpler lifestyle with its people.

Prior Experience: Daniela’s work over the past five years has been centered on collaborating with local stakeholders in the artisanal fishing communities of northern Peru. Her aim has been to empower these communities to enhance community-led initiatives for sustainability using methods such as behavioral interventions, building social capital, knowledge sharing, and facilitating social learning processes.

Deti Triani

Indonesia

Capstone theme: Deti is interested in enabling factors to establish a transboundary Marine Spatial Plan in the Arafura and Timor Seas region or Coral Triangle Area. Her work will assess the policy, governance, and regional cooperation factors that can support the development of transboundary Marine Spatial Planning.

Highlight: Deti’s philosophy and inspiration come from interactions with people and the environment.

Prior Experience: Deti has spent her career in the marine conservation field and has experience developing Marine Spatial Planning in some of the provinces in Indonesia. Her recent role was as a Marine Technical Officer at a regional collaboration project between the governments of Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Australia, and Papua New Guinea.